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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24784411">I think I feel the same as you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donteatthefootcream/pseuds/Donteatthefootcream'>Donteatthefootcream</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Pride Month 2020 [20]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Re-Animator (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Holding Hands, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, My First Work in This Fandom, Post-Movie: Bride of Re-Animator (1989), Sharing a Bed, in this house beyond does not exist, this is sort of a slow burn, this is sort of soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:34:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,897</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24784411</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donteatthefootcream/pseuds/Donteatthefootcream</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan has discovered that Herbert expresses his affection in less obvious ways. Five times Herbert wasn't straightforward and one time where he actually was.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daniel Cain/Herbert West</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Pride Month 2020 [20]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768411</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I think I feel the same as you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daniel Cain realized very early on that Herbert West was… </span>
  <em>
    <span>different</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He kept to himself, either in his room or in the basement, and then he showed Dan that he could reanimate the dead with his poor cat. That’s the day Herbert West ruined his life. Truly and utterly ruined it. Yet, for some reason Dan stayed.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took awhile for Dan to figure out how Herbert shows affection. He’s hard to read, actually, incredibly hard to read. Herbert keeps everything bottled up and sheltered away. Dan’s shocked that he knows as much as he does. His food preferences to when his birthday is. It’s all about reading and analyzing every reaction Herbert has. Or, a situation will call for Herbert to suddenly share something. That’s how his birthday came up, a co-worker at work had a little party. He probably wasn’t expecting Dan to remember it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dan thinks the first time Herbert ever expressed any sort of affection was when he comforted him after re-animating Dean Halsey. It wasn’t exactly love then, Dan knows this, but it was clearly affection. A gesture Herbert wouldn’t just do for anyone. If it were anyone else, Herbert would’ve left them there on the floor. But Dan wasn’t just anyone. He’s Herbert West’s one and only best friend. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Herbert West fell in love with Dan some time in Peru, Dan knows that for sure. Dan’s more compassionate, cares when his patients die. He feels like a failure when they die. It was his responsibility and duty to save lives. He takes pride in that. It had been a considerably hard week, so many mutilated bodies who ended up dying in their makeshift hospital tent. None of them were capable of being reanimated though, which was nice. He didn’t have to kill them again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here,” Herbert had said, standing in front of Dan on his cot. “It’s not much, but there’s been studies proving dark chocolate helps lift the mood.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dan looked at Hebert’s outstretched hand, offering him a bar of chocolate. He didn’t know how he acquired it, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. It was a luxury at the time. He accepted it gratefully, even giving Herbert a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He watched as Herbert moved around the tent after that, cleaning up the operating table before coming to sit next to him. There was silence for a moment, the two of them simply taking in each other’s company. It took some warming up for Dan to enjoy Herbert’s company, but now he does in some weird way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Herbert broke the silence eventually, telling Dan all about the Cusco iguanas. Dan hadn’t cared much for the animals, Herbert constantly carrying them around haphazardly, but he understood this as some other sort of comfort at the time. Herbert gave him the chocolate to cheer him up and rambled on about iguanas to serve as a distraction. That’s when Dan knew Herbert loved him. The obvious display of trying to care for him. It was as sweet as Herbert West could be.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Herbert didn’t abandon Dan in Peru when he was saved. He immediately rushed into saving him, ripping his shirt open and investigating the wound. Yes, Dan has seen Herbert react just as quickly to injured soldiers being brought in here, but there was something different about that whole experience. Herbert was frantic, worried and terribly eager to save Dan. He wasn’t like that with patients; he kept his cool and stayed collected. Not when Dan was stabbed however. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dan had passed off a short time after Herbert told him it was time for them to go home. What he remembered afterwards was waking up somewhere else, a safer place in Peru, and laying in a bed slightly comfier than his cot in the tent. He didn’t take in the place too much, more distracted by Herbert. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Herbert hadn’t left the room to go entertain himself while Dan recovered. Instead, he was by Dan’s side and had never left (according to the small number of nurses). When he woke up, Herbert was passed out next to him, head laying next to him on the bed. His glasses were still on, showing Dan that Herbert hadn’t meant to fall asleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a smile, Dan had removed Herbert’s glasses from his face. Herbert was sweet when he wasn’t manic. So really, any time when he wasn’t conscious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later, Dan learned that Herbert wasn’t the one who stitched him up. He kept him alive until they got somewhere safer, adding pressure and everything, but he didn’t complete the surgery. He was too jittery, shaking from the anxiety. Herbert had told him this. Dan didn’t exactly know why Herbert shared that with him, but Dan saw right through it. Herbert was too nervous, scared that Dan would die. Only someone who cared would be that worried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dan still softens at the memory. Herbert probably thinks Dn doesn’t think of it, but he does. He remembers every little gesture Herbert has made. He has to. He knows Herbert will never verbally tell Dan he cares or loves him, so he takes what he can. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan never understood this fascination Herbert has with the mutilation of limbs and the clear disregard of the deceased. He doesn’t think Herbert has much regard for anyone. He sees these bodies as an it, not a person. It made Dan wonder what Herbert would think if he died. Would Herbert mourn or would he see Dan’s lifeless body as another test subject? He liked to believe that yes, Herbert would care. He would even try to bring him back, just like Dan tried with Meg. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Herbert had a strong dislike for Meg. Was very clear with his distaste from the start. He was rude with little care for her feelings. Which is what made Herbert’s proposal while holding her heart change things. He wasn’t bringing her back for his own discoveries. He also could’ve chosen any other heart to reanimate, but he chose Meg. </span>
  <em>
    <span>For Dan. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dan had considered saying something then, asking Herbert what he felt for him. He decided he didn’t have to. His pleading, desperate eyes as he made his proposal was all Dan needed to see to know. Herbert was doing this because he loved him, and he couldn’t imagine continuing his work without Dan. He hates that Herbert has become someone he depends on, someone he can’t see himself being without even though he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>his life would be so much easier with Herbert gone. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the crypt collapsed and Herbert somehow lived, again, they were on a new mission to restart. They needed to go somewhere else and get far away from Arkham. So they did. Together. And when they did find somewhere new, in a completely new state, Herbert went back to his experiments. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took some coping skills and time for Dan to join Herbert back in the basement. At that point, Dan had accepted that he’s tied to Herbert for life now. He had nowhere to go and no one else. He only had Herbert; a fact that he hated, but he fell in love with Herbert along the way. Possibly due to all the moments where Herbert has expressed this uncharacteristic love for him. Or, it’s the rare moments where Herbert acts human, like sleeping or eating. When his hair was damp and curly from the shower. When they talked about something that wasn’t dead bodies related at the breakfast table, Herbert drinking his tea and genuinely enjoying pancakes. Imagine, Herbert West enjoying something so human. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dan sighed. “Herbert, do you want to get out? Go somewhere?” He took off his gloves, signalling to Herbert that he was done for the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know how I feel about social interaction,” Herbert replied dully, continuing to look over the animal test subject. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Going out to dinner or seeing a movie does not require much social interaction.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Herbert looked at Dan then. Dan could see when Herbert gave in, his eyes falling in defeat. He threw his gloves off with frustration and marched up the stairs, Dan following after him quickly. Dan laughed too, chasing the annoyed man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They ended up going to a movie, eating popcorn for dinner. Herbert wasn’t impressed, yet ate the popcorn anyway. They sat together in the back, Dan unintentionally sitting close to Herbert. He didn’t seem to mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dan already knew that Herbert coming with him in the first place was another example of his buried feelings. Herbert wouldn’t do this for anyone. Yet when Herbert placed a hand over Dan’s, sliding his fingers between Dan’s it shocked him. Shocked him enough to look over at Herbert, who was still watching the movie he didn’t want to see and acting as if this was normal. Dan allowed his heart to swell and hold Herbert’s hand tighter, squeezing it a bit. He didn’t look for Herbert’s reaction when he leaned over the chair’s arm in the dark theater, pressing a swift kiss to Herbert’s cheek. He did feel the heat of Herbert’s blush however. Dan smiled the rest of the movie, his hand still linked with Herbert’s. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>After the movie, their relationship changed. Dan was allowed to kiss Herbert. Nothing too passionate, quick pecks on the lips. Dan didn’t mind. He loved watching Herbert try to hide his blush whenever Dan was sweet on him. Or, how Herbert tried to be ever so discreet when he would look over at him. Herbert wasn’t smooth. He was far from it. There wasn’t an ounce of romance in his body, but Dan loved him for it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Herbert began sleeping in Dan’s room whenever he brought himself around to sleeping. There was no discussion about the new arrangement, sharing a bed, it just sort of happened. Herbert’s back would be faced towards Dan, and Dan didn’t mind that either. He would simply throw an arm over Herbert’s side and pull him closer. Herbert never complained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One night Herbert let Dan kiss him. A real, honest to God kiss that didn’t end within seconds. It was slow and passionate and something Dan has been wanting to do for a while. Herbert didn’t do much in return, merely reciprocating Dan’s kisses and moving his mouth against his. He was inexperienced; it was adorable. Herbert even let him Dan run one of his hands up and down his chest, climbing more on top of him in the bed. He didn’t get much further than that, and that was okay. Dan wouldn’t make Herbert do something he didn’t want. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Herbert, I know I’ve never said it before, but I-” Dan said, gathering his breath from the kissing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I love you too,” Herbert stuttered, struggling to say it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dan smiled. A happy smile, one that met his eyes and showed his teeth. Herbert’s been the only person to bring this out of him in years. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dan kissed him again, mumbling against Herbert’s lips, “I never thought you’d say it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Herbert said something that Dan didn’t quite catch, most likely some sort of explanation as to why. But it didn’t matter to Dan why Herbert felt the need to say it then. He didn’t even need to hear it ever again. Dan knew Herbert loved with every fleeting glance, trusting him with his work and in the vulnerable state of sleeping. It was okay. Dan knew. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So what happened was that I fell in love with Shran, resulting in me falling love with Jeffrey Combs. Then, I fell in love with Weyoun. In a desperate need to experience more Jeffrey Combs, I then watched the the Re-Animator movies. Now, I'm a unapologetic Herbert West stan who respects his undying love for Daniel Cain.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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